22d August, 1812 were discovered the ruins of Petra

On the 22d of August, 1812 Swiss Johann Burkhardt found the ruins of the ancient city of Petra. According to legend it was here that Moses was able to get water out of the rock. Ancient map shows that once the city was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom.

Petra is made of stone and represents a fortress in the rock, which appeared about 4000 years ago. If you look at a map of the city, yoy can see that it affects the scope and extends for several kilometers. The central street runs east-west along the sides of her posted colonnade. At the western end of the street is a temple, and in the east - the triumphal arch. The main attraction of the city is the theater which can accommodate 6,000 people.

Modern topographic map shows that Petra is in the territory of Jordan 180km from Amman.

It is known that Johann Burkhardt was an Orientalist, one of the first studied Nubia, traveled the Middle and Near East. His name is going down in history thanks to the discovery of Petra. However, for the researcher, it was only a step to the planned transition to the sources of the Niger across the Sahara.